Of Stars and Starships
by Joe Mo
Summary: Set 360 years in the future, our band of intrepid heroes will do everything they can to save the Federation from a terrorist group and a mysterious threat lurking in the Gamma Quadrant. Join Captain Kaldur'ahm and the rest of the USS Justice as they boldly go where no one has gone before. Star Trek AU/Crossover.
1. Setlik III

_Captain's Log: Stardate 40027.1. This is the first log entry of Captain Bruce Wayne of the USS Minnehaha. Twelve weeks ago war was declared on the United Federation of Planets by a race known as the Cardassians. The war started after a number of border conflicts and the destruction of several Starfleet vessels. Upon taking control of the Minnehaha we received a mission; to assist the colony of Setlik III. Setlik III, a small planet on the border has been attacked by the Cardassians. The Minnehaha and another vessel, the Rutledge, have been dispatched to assist. Our mission to to take out the Cardassian raiders and rescue any civilians there._

Death hung in the air like an omen. Normally that wasn't a phrase Bruce used to describe such things, but all of his senses were bombarded with that lingering thought. He could feel, hear, smell, and see the death and destruction of this place. Decomposing bodies and ozone overwhelmed his nose to such an extent he had to cover up his nose with his undershirt. His red uniform that was splattered with blood and caked with mud. To be honest, Captain Wayne found himself almost gagging at how much it overpowered him. He wanted to just transport back to his ship in orbit, but he had to stay for the time boots sloshed through the heavy mud just outside the main city. The rainy environment of this planet meant that it was great farm land with good soil, but that also meant that the mud was everywhere. The grey skies above were a constant reminder of how close it was to rain.

The rains did come earlier, however. Bruce crested the muddy hill to see several buildings that were no longer on fire. The rains from earlier had helped in putting them out. The ion scoring from phaser weapons still marked where the fighting took fighting here had been absolutely bloody. The Minnehaha, an Excelsior class vessel, absolutely blew through the Cardassian ships in orbit. However, the ground fighting had been considerably more brutal. The first wave of troops had trouble capturing the colony's capital. At least until the Minnehaha opened up with a ground bombardment. Those grey skinned, reptilian beings were annihilated by the bombardment and later by Starfleet troops.

It finally got clear enough for the Captain to make his way towards the government center. Still, Bruce had to carry a phaser pistol on him as the area was not secure enough. Explosions could be heard in the distance followed by the sound of phaser fire. At this distance, Bruce couldn't tell if it was friendly or not. However, he didn't have time to worry about that. More mud caused the Captain to stumble, but he pressed on. Bruce's mission was to get to the government center as soon as he could and recover any military or civilian personnel he could. He needed to at least find a man by the name of John Grayson, one of the main officials of the planet. John Grayson had alerted the whole fleet about the possibility that the Cardassian troops would be landing at his colony. Grayson had been a former intelligence officer himself in Starfleet before settling down on this planet with his wife, Mary.

His alert caught the attention of the USS Minnehaha and the USS Rutledge; a vessel commanded by Benjamin Maxwell. Maxwell had family on the planet and personally had a stake in the safety of this colony. For Bruce, he needed to find Grayson because of his huge wealth of knowledge on the Cardassian military that could potentially garner Starfleet Intelligence useful information for years to come. Just that information alone would aid in the winning of this war with the Cardassian and the establishment of peace. More broken buildings could be seen. Bruce's optimism to find Grayson started to fade as more and more bodies started to appear. Survivors of the main attack were now becoming rare to find. What's worse is that the government center was past these buildings by a long while.

More troops began to form up with the Captain to search the government center. A particular individual named Miles followed up closely behind Bruce. Just from a quick glance, the Captain garnered that the man was a tactical crewman from the Rutledge. His rifle raised high near his side, but the weapon was covered in dry and wet mud from the days of action. Miles trotted faster beside Bruce and spoke with a soft Irish accent.

"Careful, Captain. There's a few Spoon-head defenses near the government center." Miles' use of a Cardassian slur put him off guard for a moment. "We'll have to drag them away and get them exposed."

"Understood, Crewman," Bruce thought up a plan as he drew closer, "Try to get in a position to flank those troops and draw them out. My team will be going in."

"Aye, sir!" Miles reported back before he ran ahead to take action.

Bruce gripped the phaser tightly in his hand. It was time to finally move on the buildings. Bringing the weapon level with his shoulder and walking forward, he moved over a small crest to see several Cardassian soldiers running to and from the Government Center.

One of the Cardassians stood in the middle of the road, pointing at certain soldiers before motioning them a certain direction. It was easy to spot the grey reptilian with his dark black body armor, which stood out against the white structures of Setlik III. From the looks of the man, he seemed to be the one in charge.

Bruce aimed the phaser at the leader, allowing just a few seconds to make sure the targeting sensors got a proper lock. Likewise several other Starfleet officers took aim. The low hum of the weapons got the attention of several Cardassians who could only widen their eyes at the sight. At once all he'll broke loose. The discharges from the Starfleet phasers caught a number of Cardassians. Several were only stunned by the blasts, while others took the shots through the armor; killing them instantly.

Shots were traded back and forth for a while, however the action soon died down. The Starfleet soldiers continued towards the government center, with weapons raised to dispatch any Cardassians that were still present.

Bruce took lead as they got closer to the center. The smoke of the battle rose to meet the sky. Whisps of smoke emanated off the bodies of those grey-reptilians; as though their souls were leaving their bodies.

It seemed relatively quite as the Captain approached the government center. However a cry could be heard from his immediate left. The source was a tiny home situated just kitty corner from the center. The doors were deformed detached from the structure as though it had been blasted through with a particular weapon. The sound was heartbreaking and sounded vaguely humanoid in nature.

The Captain motioned to the troops behind him, "Clear our the center. Rameriz and Engels on me, we're going to see what that is." His soldiers nodded in agreement and obeyed his orders.

Bruce raised his rifle and focused his attention to the structure. Two other crew members followed him as he made his way into the building.

The structure was nearly completely destroyed. Phaser burns were etched into the metal walls and the furniture. Photos grenade impacts lined the floor alongside bodies of Cardassian troops. Whoever defended this building wanted to make sure that it stayed defended.

Bruce entered what he though was the sleeping quarters quarters. The crying seemed to be originating from this room. Two more Cardassian bodies could be seen in the doorway, but there were no more inside the room. Instead a different body could be seen. As the Captain drew closer, he began to recognize the black and grey hair, the bright red uniform, and the human face. It was none other than John Grayson.

His body was laying on its side clutching a phaser rifle. A phaser blast was burned through his torso on his chest, with many other burns littering his uniform on his other limbs, it looked as though John fought with every ounce of strength he had. It looked like he was trying to protect something in this room with the way he was facing the door.

Bruce knee immediately who he was trying to protect. Across the room a crib laid protected against the opposite wall. The wall was completely untouched by the combat that had been waged through the whole house. In that crib was a baby, John Grayson's son; Richard Grayson.

 **/ I redid Chapter One because I thought it needed something a bit more. Anyways I'll be working hard on the other chapters.**


	2. Earth Space Dock

_Twenty Five Years Later…_

' _I will never get tired of this view,'_ Richard Grayson thought to himself as he leaned against the rail. In front of him laid the massive complex of Earth Space Dock; one of the largest naval docks that Starfleet had to offer. Dick's brilliant blue eyes scanned every inch of the dock, looking for a new detail to spot.

The young man had transformed over the years. No longer a child, he was now a commissioned officer; a lieutenant. His bright red uniform shown under the glistening lights of the Space Dock. He easily filled out the shoulders of the uniform, especially when he stood proud and tall. Starfleet Academy had really improved his physical physique. His boots were freshly polished as was his combage that adorned his left breast. Based on his looks alone, Dick was a model Starfleet Officer.

The Lieutenant kept his postured and leaned further forward to get a better view of the place. Ships in the Space Dock were being moved around; being loaded and unloaded of crew, passengers, and cargo.

Dick could probably name all of the craft currently docked, like an Excelsior on the lower level. Honestly he wish he could be stationed on such a legendary vessel. Really he would settle for any assignment that didn't involve paperwork.

He chuckled at the thought, ' _So much paperwork.'_ That's the last thing he wanted to do. His real interest? Galactic politics. That's what he really wanted to see, not some ambassador's aide giving a presentation on root flowers of Bolius. Dick wanted to experience the outer reaches of the Federation and see Romulans, Klingons, or even Frenegi. He would give anything to see places like Nimbus III, Bajor, or Qo'nos. The Lieutenant wanted to explore, and that's why he joined Starfleet.

The patterning of footsteps could be heard behind Dick. Raising himself off the rail, the Lieutenant turned around to see a familiar face. A tall man with black hair, a fair complexion, strong facial features, and a bright red uniform came walking up to Grayson. In his hand was a PADD, probably new orders he had received. His expression was what Dick could only describe as content.

"Lieutenant." The man greeted cordially. His deep voice seemed to agree with his looks; something that could only be described as somewhat dark. Yet, the man had a ghost of a smile.

"Sir." Dick greeted back, the Lieutenant fought to his his smile as he recognized the man before him. Admiral Wayne, Starfleet Intelligence.

"It's great to see you, son." Bruce's smile presented itself as the joy flooded back to him upon seeing his ward.

"You too, Bruce." Dick smiled. The scene around them continued as the two reunited. The last time Dick saw Bruce was during a briefing about the Romulan border crisis. It honestly was a long time since they saw each other. "How have things back at Starfleet?"

"Same as they always are," Bruce said in a bored manner, "Paperwork and and experts. There is one thing though…"

Richard raised an eyebrow, "Admiral?"

Bruce sighed, "I'm sure you're familiar with the Demilitarized Zone, right?"

Dick blinked for a minute, "The one near Cardassia?"

"Exactly." Bruce nodded.

"I believe I am." Dick replied. In truth, he only knew a bit of the history of the DMZ. Mostly about the border wars the Federation had with the Cardassians and the major war the Federation just finished a few years ago.

"Well, things have gotten complicated at Starfleet Intelligence. Especially with the Maquis." Bruce continued.

"The Maquis, sir?" Dick asked, "What's the Maquis?"

The Admiral looked at Dick for a few moments. The stress the situation placed on him could now be seen to take its toll. The Lieutenant could just barely make out the wrinkles near Bruce's eyes. "They're terrorists," he said simply, "People who didn't evacuate from the Cardy side of the border and who have been attacking Cardassian military and civilian targets."

Dick nodded, "If you don't mind me asking sir, why is it our problem?"

The question hung in the air for a while. Admiral Wayne looked at Dick like he seemed to be debating how he would go forward with his answer. Finally, the Admiral responded, "We got a report from Deep Space Nine a few months back; the Maquis had targeted a Federation convoy. The convoy was carrying aid supplies to a planet just outside the Badlands, an area of constant plasma storms. The convoy was disabled and the supplies were stolen. A Starfleet vessel, the USS York, was dispatched to the Badlands. The Maquis attacked it too."

"They attacked a Starfleet ship?" Richard asked, almost at a loss for words. "But they're Federation citizens, why would they attack a Starfleet ship?"

"They're not citizens anymore." Bruce pointed out bleakly, "They renounced their citizenships; at least those in the Maquis."

Dick faced away from his mentor for a moment before coming back, "What do we do, Admiral?"

Bruce held the PADD up to the Lieutenant, "You've been reassigned from Starfleet Intelligence to the USS Justice; effective immediately. You're expertise in Cardassian politics and Galactic Relations is exactly what we need. Your mission is to hunt down the Maquis faction known as "The Light.""

"'The Light', sir?" Dick's eyes narrowed in confusion as he took the pad to study it.

"Yes, 'The Light'. We believe it's being lead by a rogue Starfleet Intel member named Slade Wilson." Bruce explained, "That PADD should have everything you need including your new battlefield promotion. Congratulations, Acting Commander Grayson."

Dick was almost floored by the news, Acting Commander. The smile on Bruce's face was contagious; spreading to the newly promoted Commander, "Thank you, sir. I'll do everything I can to complete this mission."

"Excellent." The Admiral turned to walk away, "Your ship is down nine levels on docking bay 5. Your belongings have already been moved there. Report to your CO and don't forget to send regular reports!"

"Yes, sir!" Dick stood at attention as Admiral Wayne departed him.

' _Commander,'_ Dick thought to himself. That was a rank that he had to get used to. Hopefully though, he learned enough from his mentor to serve his ship in the best capacity he could. The Commander raised his head his head in confidence and went to find his ship; 'The Justice'.

 **/Here it is people, a longer chapter and the focus of what this story will be. Don't worry! There will be more of the Team later! Don't panic!/**


	3. The Maquis

_Commander's Log: Stardate 48014.2: As of this moment, I am no longer Lieutenant Richard Grayson, but now Commander Grayson. Admiral Wayne has just promoted me to Acting Commander of the USS Justice due to the need for an expert in Cardassian politics. I will admit that this is a big step for my Starfleet career and the task is enormous. I hope that I serve the Justice well in my capacity as Commander. That is, I hope, if the Captain and crew accept me. My next stop is to see this new vessel and it's CO, Captain Kaldur'ahm._

There she was. USS Justice, N.C.C 63616. Richard was an awe at the magnificent vessel before him. The Justice's distinct twin hull design and massive torpedo launcher stood out to the Commander. Never before had he seen an Akira Class Cruiser before now.

He could see the vessel just outside the window of the cargo bay. The bay itself was bustling with people and moving crates all being loaded on the magnificent ship. It was interesting to the Commander, honestly; a lot of the people in the room were tactical crewmen. Their dark grey uniforms and phaser rifles stood out to Dick. Likewise, the equipment being loaded aboard the Justice was crates full of food rations, photon torpedoes, phaser weapons, and what looked to be parts for a Argo Exploration Rover. The cargo bay honestly looked like the inside of the Minnehaha during the war with Cardassia

It concerned Dick that Starfleet was preparing for war again. Starfleet was supposed to be an organization devoted to exploration and discover, not war and violence. This went against everything he believed in, even if he was from Starfleet Intelligence.

Personnel started to board the Justice, and Richard followed close behind. The trip across the boarding tube was short, but it felt like an eternity behind the slow moving herd of crewmembers heading aboard. Dick couldn't contain his excitement at finally being on such a great vessel like the Justice.

Stepping off the boarding ramp, Dick instantly noticed the change in atmosphere and lighting. It was slightly darker than what he was used to on a Excelsior class like the Minnehaha. The actual design of the hall was reminiscent of Starfleet's new design philosophy. Angular hallways, grey floors and paneling, and fewer computer displays. Dick couldn't help but feel that the interior seemed more spartan.

The Commander carried himself further into the vessel and walked to where he thought the turbolift would be. Luckily he found a door that said 'Turbolift' on it. Dick waiting by the door allowing the computer to scan his presence. Eventually the turbolift came and the doors opened.

Inside a woman dressed in a yellow and grey uniform with long, blonde hair stood by holding a PADD. She looked up at Dick, curious as to why he was just standing there. "Well? Aren't you coming along?"

Dick nodded, "Yeah, sorry," Before boarding the lift. "Deck One."

"Already going there." The woman spoke before going back to her PADD. She seemed to find more interest in her work than the people she was with, Dick noted. He stood facing the door, beside the woman. He glanced over to her PADD and noticed that it had a full readout of the Justice; especially information on the warp matrix.

"What brings you to the bridge, Lieutenant?" The woman asked without taking her eyes off the device.

"Acting Commander, actually." Dick scratched the back of his head. "I was posted here by Admiral Wayne. I've come to help command the vessel."

"Admiral Wayne, huh?" The woman looked up for the first time. "Someone's been brushing elbows with the big brass. Conner won't like the sound of that."

"It's just just a temporary assignment," Dick replied. He noticed the two pips on her collar. "And you're heading to the bridge too Lieutenant-?"

"Crock, Artemis Crock." The woman replied with a cocky smile. "I'm the Chief Engineer. And Lieutenant Commander Conner Kent is our Chief Tactical Officer, miiiiight be best to avoid him." She went back to her PADD with an amused smile; almost as though she was picture the confrontation in her head.

"Okay, then. Thanks for the update." Dick replied as the doors opened up. The bridge of the Justice was still as grey and spartan as the hallways; but LCARS computers lined almost every inch of the bench around the ship. Crewmen in blues, yellows, and reds all were making preparations to get underway. Across the bridge an argument could be heard coming from the Captain's Ready Room.

"What was that?" Dick asked Artemis.

"Sounds like Conner and Kaldur," The Lieutenant chuckled, "Looks like you have your work cut out."

The blonde stepped off the lift shaking her head as she went to her station. Dick stepped off just behind her and looked to the Ready Room doors… where he needed to go.

"Great," He muttered under his breath, "First day aboard and I have to deal with this." The Commander strolled up to the doors before pressing a button on the control panel. A ring could be heard inside followed shortly by someone calling evenly, "Come."

The doors opened up to a one sided argument inside, "... And when Roy left I was told I would be promoted. I'm still a damn Lieutenant-Commander, Kaldur!"

The source of the argument came from the dark haired human who was currently leaning over the table. His uniform looked similar to the ones worn by the tactical teams in the cargo bay earlier. His complexion contrasted that of the blond haired Vulcan who was currently sitting in his chair listening to the argument.

"I understand your concern, Mr. Kent. Your formal complaint to Starfleet Command has been noted and sent. However, it is not my command to make to overstep the decisions that Admiral Wayne has partaken." Captain Kaldur'ahm's voice was even throughout the whole ordeal; as a Vulcan should carry himself.

The Captain turned to Dick who was currently in the door and greeted; "You must be Commander Grayson, correct?"

Dick nodded nervously, "Yes, sir. I've come to formally introduce myself."

"There will be time for that just before we set off." Kaldur rose from his seat and looked back to Conner, "Lieutenant- Commander, you are excused for now. I will take your concerns under advisement, however."

Conner took a deep breath and nodded, "Of course, sir. Thank you." The Tactical Officer placed his hands behind his back and walked back out onto the bridge.

Kaldur sat back down in his chair and looked to Dick, "Come sit down, please." The Captain gestured to a seat in front of him.

Dick toon the hint and made his way over to sit. He placed the PADD, he still had in his hand, down onto the table before getting comfortable.

"So," Kaldur began, "I assume you understand what this assignment is about?"

"Yes, Captain Kaldur'ahm." Dick nodded.

The Captain raised an eyebrow, "Please, Mr. Grayson, call me Kaldur. It's much easier to pronounce."

"Yes, Captain Kaldur." Dick began again, "I wasn't aware that Vulcans had preferred nicknames."

The Captain was unfazed by the comment, "I was raised by my mother who was a V'tosh ka'tur; a Vulcan without Logic. She chose my name from my father. I prefer to use a shorter name."

Dick nodded, "I understand."

"To continue, I'm sure you were briefed by Admiral Wayne on the situation?" Captain Kaldur asked.

"Yeah, it was… brief," The Commander cringed at the unintentionally pun, "I was informed of a new faction in the DMZ, the Maquis."

Kaldur sighed for a moment, "Yes, the Maquis. They are Federation citizens that have taken arms against us; as I'm sure you already know."

Dick nodded and looked at the desk in front of him, "I heard the York was severely damaged. The report said that 24 crew members perished."

"That's not all." Kaldur announced as he got up and walked to a fish tank in the corner of his office, "Deep Space Nine has conducted a full report of the Maquis after a Cardassian vessel was destroyed at the station. The Maquis are arming themselves. Shuttles and small ships armed with military grade weapons, phaser rifles, photon grenades, everything; they are arming for a fight."

Dick looked up at Kaldur and leaned his head back into his seat. "With those kinds of weapons, they pose a great threat to anything near the region. Especially with the discovery of the wormhole at Bajor."

"The trade routes, yes." Kaldur replied solemnly. "Ideally, the Maquis will have to focus hit and run attacks on small convoys and single vessels." He moved back to his desk and pressed a button activating an old style holographic map of the Cardassian DMZ and part of the Badlands. Red markers indicated attacks by the terrorists and blue dots represented old Federation colonies. "I took the liberty to download the logs of each vessel attacked and lay them on a star map like this. What do you see?"

Dick studied the image for a while. The attacks looked like they were mostly secluded to one area of the trade route with several being closer to some older Federation colonies. Something did catch his attention, "Why are all the attacks occurring away from planets?"

Kaldur had a ghost of a amused looked, but still seemed expressionless, "A very good observation. I was wondering the same. I personally believe that they are rendezvousing at different locations and launching coordinated attacks from about four or five different locations."

"How do you figure that?" Dick asked upon hearing such a number.

"Simple really, look at the 'random' attack; the ones not on the coordinated routes." Kaldur zoomed the map closer to view the red dots and nearby star systems. "They are still relatively concentrated but come to five different sets of attacks. These types of attacks are mostly rare, however, and usually consist of attacking food and medical convoys. They are attacks out of desperation. Furthermore these attacks are still far away from former colonies…"

"Which means they had to make these attacks on short notice, closer to their territory than they like." Dick continued the thought.

The map expanded out again and shaded five different portions of the map a light green hue. "Look," Kaldur pointed out, "These areas are were we believe the Maquis has possible base, there might be a few here." The map zoomed into an area of space with a blistering amount of plasma storms'.

"The Badlands." Dick blurted out.

"You are familiar with the Badlands?" Kaldur asked.

The Commander nodded, "Yeah, they were used by the Federation to hide several ships during the border war. As I remember a lot of Federation ships staged attacks against the Cardassians from there."

"An astute observation." Kaldur closed the map and went back to sit in his chair. The captain sat back and contemplated his next sentence. "Mr. Grayson, what I'm about to tell you must stay here."

"Of course, sir." Dick affirmed, "What is it?"

"Starfleet is worried that several officers from the Cardassian War are defecting to the Maquis." Kaldur let the words hang in the air.

"Sir, that-that's…"

"Surprising? Yes." Kaldur finished his sentence, "However, it would make sense if the Maquis are using the Badlands as a jumping off point. The officers stationed there would know the layout of that region of space. If we find a base there, that would confirm our suspicions."

"I understand, sir." Dick replied, "Where do we start?"

Kaldur got up and tugged his uniform down to straighten it, "The Justice will be assigned to provide escort to those trade routes near the Badlands. The Cardassian Central Command has authorized the Justice to pursue any Maquis vessels into the DMZ. Our orders are to search, apprehend, and disable any Maquis ships. We are also armed with a complement of shuttles, runabouts, and a squadron of Peregrine Fighters to aid in this venture."

"I understand sir." Dick got up, "I'll prepare right away!"

"Mr. Grayson." Dick was about to move when he heard Kaldur call his name.

Kaldur clasped his hands behind his back, "First, I must introduce you to the rest of my bridge officers. They are in the conference lounge. Will you join me?"

Dick smirked, "Of course, sir."

"Excellent," Kaldur spoke with all the happiness a Vulcan could muster, "There may be a few familiar faces you recognize."

 **/Sorry is took so long guys! Third chapter is up, and I think you may like it! Next up, we see the crew of the USS Justice.**


	4. The Conference Room

Captain Kaldur stood next to the door to the conference room. "I must warn you, Mister Grayson," he spoke, "The crew is relatively new at bridge command. They are… eccentric."

The way the Vulcan chose his words was interesting to the Commander. For a creature of supposed emotional suppression, it was hilarious to use a word like eccentric. "No worries, sir," Dick chuckled, "I can take whatever you throw at me."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow but said nothing further. His hand reached out to the control panel and pressed on a finger scanner. The door to the conference slid open to reveal a large oak table, massive windows peering into space, and a diverse group of people.

Dick instantly recognized the massive hulk of the Chief Tactical Officer from earlier, who was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room. His arms were crossed together; showing off his built arms. Although he was deeply upset earlier, it seemed like he was in deep conversation with an Orion female. Surprising it seemed as though he was enjoying the conversation.

The Orion female was dressed in a blue-green uniform with a blue medical coat. Dick could instantly tell she was the medical officer from that very coat. She had her red hair cut neck length short and seemed to have freckles too. Whatever she and the Chief Tactical Officer were talking about it seemed to be making her smile too.

Just kiddy-corner from the couple, a slim, raven headed science officer sat at the table with a stack of PADDs laid out before her. From the look of her blue uniform, Dick could tell she was in the Science Division and was probably the Chief Science Officer of the Justice. The current PADD she was looking at seemed to have a graphic of the Badlands on it; he would recognized those orange plasma fields anywhere. He knew it was going to be fun getting her opinion on the region.

Beside her, Artemis Crock; the Chief Engineer, was seated. Artemis was looking across that table with a glare that would shred any Cardassian ship that came by. The person who she was glaring at had a bowl of potato crisps out before him and a mop of red hair. Dick recognized that mop of hair right away, "Wally?

The person spun around so quick that Dick thought the entire ship could be powered by his momentum. "Dick? Is that you?" The red head set down the bowl and jumped up to greet the Commander, revealing his bright red command uniform. "Dick it's been a while!" Wally wrapped his arms around Dick before he backed up to better see his best friend. "What have you been up to, dude?! I haven't seen you since the Academy!"

Richard couldn't contain his smile, "It's great to see you too, man! I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Of course I'm here! Every ship needs the best helmsman!" He exclaimed.

"Then we need to keep looking, then!" Artemis butted in from across the table with a mischievous smirk.

Wally glared back in return, "I heard that."

"Good!" She shot back.

"Miss Crock, Mister West; that behavior will not be tolerated about my vessel." Kaldur let his displeasure known by admonishing his officers.

"Sorry, sir." They spoke together and looked at the floor in unison.

Wally scratched the back of his head awkwardly before speaking, "So… what brings you here Dick?"

"Mr. Grayson is your new acting executive officer." Kaldur'ahm spoke. "His experience in Cardassian affairs will be most beneficial in our current operation. I expect you treat him with the utmost respect and welcome him as a member of our crew."

The last part seemed like it was aimed at the Chief Tactical Officer who was only now taking a seat with the Orion Medical Officer. The Tactical Officer placed both his arms on the table and spoke, "Of course, sir. Can I ask what our next op is?"

"Of course, Mr. Kent." Kaldur looked to both Wally and Dick, "Take your seats."

The two friends grabbed their chairs and comfortably came to the table. Kaldur seated himself at the head of the table and placed his hands overlapping on the oak finish. Once everyone was seat the Captain spoke, "According to Starfleet Command, there had been a rise in activity near and in the Demilitarized Zone. An organization known as the Maquis has been sending raiding parties against Federation, Cardassian, and neutral party convoys."

"Do we know the exact location the Maquis are based out of?" Conner asked curiously.

Dick shook his head, "Not at this point in time. From what we could figure, we believe that the Maquis have at least five separate bases; based upon their attack patterns and warp trajectories."

"Furthermore several of these locations are dangerous for space travel," Kaldur'ahm pressed a button on the desk bringing up a diagram of the DMZ on the opposing wall. "The best location that we could consider would be the Badlands. Miss Zatara, are you familiar with that locality of space?"

"Sorta," The raven haired science officer spoke, "The Badlands; sector 04-70, an area of localized plasma storms, EM interference, gravitational drifts, and a number of habitable planets. The whole region is full of highly charged plasma. One wrong hit and the Justice will be in Space Dock for weeks; even with modulated shields."

Kaldur nodded and zoomed the screen into the Badlands region, "What would our combat conditions be in the Badlands; provided we were to engage in a fight?"

The science officer shook her head, "I can't say. We would have to limit phaser output in case we miss and hit the energized plasma. Too much power into the storms would create a chain reaction that would severely damage anything in the area. Torpedoes likewise would be unusable unless their yield was drastically reduced. We would basically be fighting in an oversized shuttlecraft."

"I understand. Kent, what combat capabilities would we have in the Badlands?" Kaldur quickly questioned the tactical officer.

"No high yield torpedoes and high power phaser; I can't say I can disagree with Zatanna's assessment." Conner scratched his head and thought for a moment. "The Justice's shields would be the only saving grace, but that's a waste of a ship should it get hit during a fight between the plasma storms. I would recommend extreme use of shuttlecraft and the new Peregrine fighters. The Peregrine's phasers can reach the mid range power levels of the Justice, plus the ships have much heavier shields than regular shuttlecraft and could possibly take down a Bird-of-Prey."

"What's the Justice's current complement?" Dick asked reflexively.

"A full squadron of Peregrines, four Type 6 shuttlecrafts, four Hopper Infantry Movers, and two Danube Runabouts." Kent automatically listed. "Not quite standard for an Akira, but we're here to defeat the Maquis. We need all the combat craft we can get."

Dick nodded and turned to Kaldur, "Sir, I think we could do a lot with those kind of vessels. The reports say that the Maquis usually use modified shuttlecraft."

Kaldur nodded slowly, "That would help them navigate the Badlands easier. Although I believe they do have larger raiders. We do need to take that into consideration when in an engagement."

"Speaking of considerations," Artemis spoke up, "What would the Justice do in the event we engage the Maquis? With phaser output down, we wouldn't have much to defend ourselves with."

Conner and Dick both frowned at that aspect. Conner spoke up first, "Artemis is right. The Justice would be a massive punching bag."

The bridge officers let those words hang in the air for a few moments before the red-headed helmsman had an idea, "An aircraft carrier!"

Everyone looked at Wally with peaked interest. Kaldur in particular raised an eyebrow, "Mr. West, what is an aircraft carrier?"

"Sorry," He apologized, "During the 20th Century on Earth there was a naval vessel that was designed to carry atmospheric craft into battle. Earth militaries called it an aircraft carrier. Usually they were lightly armed, but they used their squadrons of aircraft to attack different targets while the vessels themselves hung back. We could adapt a similar strategy and have the Justice stand by just outside the Badlands."

"Huh, the dork actually has a good idea." Artemis sounded amazed, "But what do we do if one of our pilots are injured or a fighter is disabled?"

"I think I can answer that." The green-skinned Orion spoke as she furiously typed into a PADD that she pulled from her lab-coat.

"Miss Morse?" Kaldur'ahm asked, "Megan?"

"Sorry, I was just pulling up the schematics of the runabouts." Megan Morse replied as she continued to type on the PADD. Eventually she set it down and spoke again. "The runabouts might be an option. If Artemis could modify them to house a medical suite and improve the tractor beams, we could use them as support vessels."

"And we could rely on them to get our crew out of harm's way!" Conner beamed at his fellow officer, "That's brilliant Megan!"

"Very impressive, Miss Morse." Kaldur'ahm congratulated her in Vulcan tradition, "Miss Crock, can you assign an engineering team to modify two of the runabouts into this configuration?"

Artemis shrugged, "I don't see why not. Shouldn't be too difficult, might take six hours at most."

"Excellent. I expect it done before we arrive at Deep Space Nine." Kaldur'ahm ordered. "Likewise, I would like everyone to prepare for departure. We leave Space Dock in an hour for Deep Space Nine. Make sure the ship is completely stocked and read and I want full reports by 1800 Federation Standard Time. Understood?"

"Yes sir," the entire room sounded off.

"Excellent, dismissed." Kaldur stood up from his chair and made his way to the bridge.

Wally turned towards Dick, still in his chair, "Dude, we have so much to catch up on. Like the fact that you now outrank me?"

Dick shook his head and laughed a little, "It's a long story. I'll tell you once I get finished unpacking." The Commander looked away from his friend for a moment at Zatanna to see her exit the conference room. "So do you know where my quarters are at?"

Wally grinned, "Follow me."

 **/Chapter four is up! Thanks to Black' Victor CaChat and HuHotLover0023 for reviewing!**


	5. Underway

"Here we are! Deck Two Section Three." Wally smiled as he approached a door. The helmsman seemed to know the ship inside and out and expertly navigated the halls like he memorized every step. "This is your new quarters. Sized perfectly for your needs!"

Dick chuckled as he approached the door, "Why do you say that?" The Commander pressed a button on the panel and allowed the door to slide open. Inside the whole room was larger than an apartment. Before him was a huge desk with a Starfleet computer, two desk chairs for guests, an oak table with lounge seating for at least ten people, a replicator, two doors leading to what Dick assumed was the bathroom and bedroom, and lastly large windows looking out at Earth Spacedock. "Wooh."

"Big isn't it?" Wally grinned, "The only place more elaborate is Kaldur's quarters." The helmsman walked inside to sit on the lounge seating with his feet propped up on the oak table. He looked expectantly at the Commander, "Well? Aren't you gonna relax?"

Dick shook his head, "Of course." He walked inside, letting the door shut behind him. The Commander looked around the room, seeing the bare cream walls and the gray struts between the windows, "It looks a little incomplete." He moved towards the desk and took a seat .

"Yeah, I had trouble decorating my quarters." Wally nodded at Dick. "I put up a few photos of famous space farrying vessels, a couple of models, and I think I have picture of my family too."

Dick smiled a bit, "How is your family doing?"

"Fine, I suppose." Wally shrugged, "Barry is living it up at Starfleet Operations. Iris has been staying in Central City with the twins. Mom and Dad are still running the old holosuites in Keystone. All in all, they're doing fine. How's Bruce and the rest of the Wayne clan?"

Dick thought for a moment, "Pretty okay for a Starfleet family. Damian just completed Kindergarten. Tim is doing his thing at Starfleet Medical. Jason is hard at work on the Odyssey as a weapons tech; believe it or not he's starting to enjoy the Galaxy Class. And Bruce is swamped with reports from the DMZ and the Romulan Neutral Zone. All in all, everyone's doing okay."

Wally smiles for a moment and then his face morphs into a serious look, "So Bruce really sent you here?"

Dick dropped his smile as well. He didn't saying for a moment and thought about his current task. "Yeah, He thought I might be a good fit for this mission. After this is done, I'll be off back to Starfleet Intelligence."

Wally swung his feet off the table, sensing the distress the Commander felt earlier. He leaned forward to his friend before speaking, "Hey, Dick, don't let Conner get to you. He's just upset that he's been denied another promotion."

"Yeah, I figured." Dick replied with a frown, "I walked into an argument he was having with Kaldur earlier."

"He does like to call Kaldur out on his BS sometimes." Wally thought back, "He and Roy would always tag-team him when there was something seriously wrong."

Dick looked at Wally with a solemn expression.

"But," Wally continued, "Conner is not mad at you. He's a genuinely nice guy who gets mad at orders, but not people. He knows you had nothing to do with it. In fact, I think he might be open to working with you."

"You think so?" Dick asked.

"I know so." Wally smiled.

Dick smiled in return, "Thanks Wally."

"No prob, dude." Wally propped his feet on the table once again and placed his hands behind his head.

"So…" The Commander began, "What's up with you and Miss Crock?"

Wally nearly slipped and fell as he was caught off guard, "W-What? Me and Arty? Nothing's going on!"

Dick could hardly contain the smug grin, "Now, Mr. West, it's my duty as the Executive Officer of the Justice to oversee all crew conduct."

"Don't pull rank on me! We shared a dorm at the Academy!" Wally shot back.

Dick laughed and held his hands up defensively, "I kid, I kid!" He took a moment to compose himself, "But seriously, what happened in that conference room?"

Wally was silent for just a couple of seconds, he was thinking over his next words. "I maaaay have accidentally burnt out an impulse manifold during our last assignment. During a somewhat reckless maneuver. And it might have taken her and her crew a few hours to repair." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Walls…" Dick warned, "You know the rules about Engineers."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," He brushes it off, "Don't create more work for them than you need to."

"Good man." Dick cheekily smiled.

A sudden alert was heard in the room, followed by the Captain's voice, "Bridge to Commander Grayson and Lieutenant West."

Dick looked to Wally for a second with a somewhat surprised expression. Finally, he hit his combadge to activate the comm system, "Grayson and West here."

"Please report to the bridge. We will be leaving spacedock shortly."

"On our way." Dick looked to the floor and then back to his friend, "I guess we'll be leaving soon. Shall we go?"

"Sure thing." Wally got up and straightened his uniform.

Dick followed shortly before heading towards the door, "Just don't burn out another manifold again."

"Hardy har har." Wally mocked laughed.

—-

The trip to the bridge was short. The turbolift doors opened to reveal a more populated bridge than before with crew members at their respective positions. There were two positions still opened, however; the helm, the captain's chair, and the first officer's chair.

The command chairs were situated on a raised platform just behind the helm station; both side by side. Another station was located just above and behind the command chairs. The station had layouts of weapons, shields, and communications; making it the tactical station. Lieutenant-Commander Kent was manning the station. He called over to Wally and Dick as they exited the Turbolift, "Commander, Lieutenant; welcome to the bridge."

"Thank you Commander," Dick replied, "I assume everything is almost ready for launch?"

"Affirmative, sir." Conner responded eagerly as he folded his hands behind his back, "All crew members are at their stations and were are ready to depart Earth Spacedock."

Dick gave a small smile, "Excellent work, Mr. Kent. Stand by for further orders."

Before he could walk to his seat, Conner stopped Dick, "Sir, before you go. I would like to state that the crew and I appreciate you being with us."

The Commander nodded acceptingly, "Thank you, Conner. I appreciate the gesture."

Conner smiled back at Dick before returning back at his tactical station.

Wally grinned at the interaction between the two, "Told you so," He told Dick.

"Oh, shut up," Dick replied as they walked towards their respective stations.

As they approached their stations, the doors to the turbolift opened revealing Kaldur'ahm.

"Captain on the Bridge!" Conner announced. This prompted every officer and crew member to stand at attention.

"At ease." Kaldur spoke evenly. His voice effortlessly carried on the suddenly silent bridge.

Many officers went back to work at their stations including Conner at his tactical interface, Artemis at her engineering station just behind Conner, and Zatanna at the science station just next to Artemis. Wally took his seat at the helm and played around with a few of the settings. Dick, however, remained standing in front of his chair.

"Are you ready to begin our journey, Mr. Grayson?" Kaldur asked as he approached his chair.

"Course, Sir." Dick replied with a small smirk, "Ready when you are."

"Excellent. We shall get underway." He took a seat in his chair, with Dick following soon after. "All stations, report."

Conner spoke up just behind Kaldur, "Weapons and shields are in operating conditions. Hangers are prepped for storage. Tactical and Security reports all clear."

"Warp core is online and operating within parameters. All systems are go for Engineering." Artemis reported.

"Ms. Morse reports that Sick Bay is fully stocked and ready." Zatanna replied, "All science stations are reporting all clear."

"Very well," Kaldur'ahm nodded as he heard the reports, "Helm, report."

"Helm reports that all flight systems are operating normally." Wally turned his head back to the Captain, "We are ready to depart on your mark."

The Captain sat forward and straightened his uniform, "Lieutenant, depart Earth Spacedock."

Wally began tapping his screen, "Sealing exterior hatches, depressurizing air lock, clearing all moorings." The Lieutenant waited for several moments before speaking again. "We are clear of all moorings."

"Take us out, one third thrusters." Kaldur replied.

"Aye, sir!"

The Justice slowly pulled away from the side of the station and towards the opening of Earth Spacedock. Soon the might Akira vessel was outside the huge doors to the station and was clear of the structure.

"We're clear of Earth Spacedock, Captain." Wally called out

"Understood, lay in a course for Deep Space Nine. Warp 5."

"Course laid in, sir." The helmsman called back.

"Engage." Kaldur motioned forward with his hand.

The nacelles to the Justice began to glowed a bright blue. The warp core of the ship whined as antimatter obliterated matter creating huge amounts of energy. The vessel stretched forward as it entered warp before it disappeared into a distant flash of light. The Justice has just began its next mission.

 **/ Hey guys! Special thanks to** **roxasduelwielder and Avgi Nea Imera for reviewing! I'll be away with my girlfriend for Valentines Weekend, but I will be working more on this in the future.**


	6. Holodeck

"Check left." Conner whispered as he swung his rifle left.

Behind Conner, in the faint light of the planetoid, were three other Starfleet officers. Next to them were pillars of stone and a maze of rocks. The concealment of darkness both hid the officers from sight, but also prevented them from seeing anyone else. They could stumble through the darkness without knowing what was around the corner. Luckily, the phaser rifles they carried allowed them to peer through the darkness with their scopes.

"No targets." Whispered Dick, "They might be further up the passage."

Conner frowned but kept his rifle point forward, and motioned with his left hand for everyone to move up.

At once the whole group crouched forward into the passageway. Around any of the corners a Maquis raider could come out for an ambush.

Suddenly from the rear of the group Artemis could be heard speaking up, "Hang on, I'm picking up a few lifesigns ahead."

"How many?" Conner whispered back.

"Six, maybe seven?" Artemis sounded unsure as she studied her tricorder closely, "There's a lot of interference."

"Alright. Spread out and select your targets." Conner replied back, "Switch to combadges."

The group tapped their gold emblems and went their different ways to get eyes on the Maquis soldiers. Conner found a nice rock face to lay his rifle on. Dick laid prone on the ground just a few meters away from Conner. Artemis had her phaser pistol at the ready, while the four member silently climbed one of the pillars to get a better angle.

Before them were seven different individuals of varying species and sexes. An Andorian stood off to the side with a heavy weapon resting on his shoulders, a few humans huddled next to a glowing fire, and a Vulcan was tending to an inventory of crates.

"I'll targeting the Andorian," Conner whispered over the combadge, "West take out the Vulcan. Grayson, Crock; take out the Humans by the fire."

"Copy." "Affirmative." Voices came over the combadges in unison.

The Lieutenant Commander took aim with his rifle, "Fire."

A stream of orange beam reached out across the long distance and struck the Andorian straight in the chest. The blue humanoid crumbled to the ground; his weapon dropping with him.

Likewise the humans by the fire were scrambling to find their weapons to shoot back. One by one they were dropping to the ground under the withering fire brought on by the Starfleet officers. The Vulcan also was blasted into the cargo crates and failed to recover. Soon the entire area was quiet, while the smell of ozone filled the air.

"Quick, tie them up!" Conner quickly got up and took out his restraining braces.

The other officers came over and quickly began restraining the unconscious Maquis soldiers.

Conner quickly finished restraining his target and pressed his combadge, "Kent to Justice, seven to beam out."

The bodies before them quickly were overcame by a bright blue light as their molecules were quickly teleported aboard their ship.

Conner lowered his rifle for a moment, "Alright, let's mov-."

A blast of plasma shot over the his head. Kent sought cover as soon as he could. Everyone else scrambled to move away from the area as more blasts concentrated on their position. The blasts struck the walls and sent rocks and shrapnel all over the surface.

"Gah!" A scream could be heard as Wally took a blast straight to the back of his head and collapsed to the ground.

"Wally!" Artemis screamed.

The Engineer quickly ran out of cover to pull her comrade back to cover, only to get pelted by a blast to her shoulder and leg. She was spun around as quickly hit the ground.

"Crap!" Conner swore as he saw two of his officers go down, "Pull back!"

Dick nodded and rose to move back the way he came only to be greeted by three other Maquis pointing rifles at him. The Commander prepared himself to be shot by the plasma weapons.

"End simulation."

Just like that, the Maquis disappeared as did the rocky terrain. What replaced the planetoid was the interior of a holodeck; specifically one of the Justice's many holodecks. Conner and Dick stood standing in the room, while Wally and Artemis were laying on the ground. However, in the corner, Kaldur'ahm stood aside with Megan with him.

"Ms. Morse please tend to Mr. West and Ms. Crock." Kaldur commanded.

"Yes, sir." The medic replied and ran to where they laid.

"I'm fine." Wally grunted as he sat up, "Just a bruise ego."

"Dead men don't talk." Megan scolded him and took out a medical tricorder, "Please lay back down."

"Sure thing." Wally winked only to be slapped by the engineer. "Ow!"

"Shut up." Artemis responded with a glare as Wally rubbed his cheek.

"Can you two get along?" Dick shouted at them. The Commander shook his head and looked back to his Captain who had his arms cross. "What did we do wrong this time, Captain?"

The Vulcan's expression was blank, as a Vulcan should be. However his words carried a rebuke that could not be measure with emotions. "I found this exercise to be most disappointing. Lack of situational awareness, lack of teamwork, improper positioning, no security when securing the prisoners, and lastly Mr. West's rifle was not calibrated."

"Vulcan hell, how did you see that?" Wally asked only to be slapped again, "Ow! Arty!"

Artemis only shrugged. "Language," She added as the Helmsman rubbed his other cheek.

Megan closed her medical tricorder and got up with a hint of a smile, "Mr. West is just fine. Maybe a headache from the slapping in the next hour, but nothing I can't fix. No concussion thankfully."

"Thanks Doc." Wally stated as he got up. The helmsman offered his hand to his fellow officer, "Truce?"

"Truce." Artemis replied and took his hand to be pulled to her feet.

Conner was stewing in his section of holodeck. It was clear to see that he was pissed off at how the exercise went. However the Tactical Officer didn't act on his anger and instead looked to his Captain, "Sir, permission to run the exercise again?"

"I admire your perseverance, Mr. Kent," Kaldur praised his third-in-command, "However I believe the time is 2100 hours. We can practice more tomorrow when we arrive at Deep Space Nine. It's time to rest."

Conner inhaled and pushed away his anger, "I understand, sir."

"Bridge to the Captain." Zatanna's voice came through the Holodeck's intercom.

"Go ahead," Kaldur replied.

"Deep Space Nine has sent a message to us. The USS Odyssey has been destroyed." Zatanna reported.

Richard inhaled sharply, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"Understood, What was the situation?" Kaldur replied diverting his attention away from Dick.

"Unknown, sir. DS9 is still relaying the information over subspace." She responded.

"Send the report to my Ready Room." Kaldur ordered.

"Aye, sir." The communication system clicked off and the silence settled.

"Mr. Grayson?" Kaldur looked to his First Officer with a raised brow.

"Sorry, sir." Dick apologized, "My adopted brother was aboard the Odyssey."

"I understand," The Captain calmly replied, "There is no need to apologize. Matters of family are important."

"Thank you, sir." Dick looked at the ground.

"I'll update you when I can, Mr. Grayson." Kaldur nodded, "Likewise prepare tomorrow for another exercise at 800 hours. I expect everyone to be ready at that time; including you, Mr. West. Dismissed."

Everyone shook their heads and moved to leave. That is, everyone but Megan and Conner who stayed in the holodeck.

"Conner?" Megan asked concerned, looking to her best friend.

"I should have seen it coming." The Tactical Officer turned to rip off his combadge and throw it across the holodeck.

"It was a level 10 exercise." Megan pointed out, "It was designed to be difficult."

"But not for me." Conner responded, "I should have known that it was an ambush or that the simulation soldiers were intentionally jamming sensors. The evidence was all right there from the lack of security to the fuzzy tricorder images."

"Not everyone can be Admiral Wayne and know the outcome of everything." Megan frowned and closed the distance.

Conner sighed, "I need to better than Wayne. I need to be better than Pike o-or even Kirk!"

"You are better."

Conner turned back to Megan with a confused expression.

"You do so much to prove yourself," She went on, "You passed the Academy physicals while sick. You lead a platoon during the closing days of the Cardassian War, which Kaldur noticed. You worked your way through the ranks as a Tactical Officer in peace time. You've already proven yourself; you are better. You just need to realize that.

Conner's expression morphed into one of anxiety and dejection, "What if I'm not?"

"I know you are. You're Conner Kent, the man I fell in love with." She smiled warmly, "And if that doesn't prove anything, I don't know what will."

Kent looked off to the side with a sheepish expression, "I guess you're right. I just want to be the best. I want a command of my own."

"I know. And I also know that being passed up for another promotion opportunity hasn't helped." Megan pointed out. "I know that stress and anger you are feeling. You need to let it go."

Conner sighed, "What should I do?"

"Try relaxing a bit. I can tell that you've haven't been taking any time off since that business at the Neutral Zone. Why not a vacation?" Megan suggested, "Computer; Risa."

The background morphed from the grey-blue and red hues of the holodeck into a beautiful oceanic view with tropical green jungles, white sandy beaches, and bright blue water stretching out as far as the eye could see.

Conner didn't say a thing but he raised an amused eyebrow at Megan.

"Computer, Risa Mai-tai." Megan held up a hand and a drink formed between her fingers.

"I never knew you drink." Conner smirked as he saw the beverage.

"Not after the diplomatic incident on Andoria." Megan chuckled.

"It was a delegation on Romulan trade sanctions," Conner pointed out, "Romulan Ale was one of the items on the itinerary."

"As long as Ambassador Troi is nowhere near the stuff we're good." Megan smirked as she brought the drink to her lips.

"Don't remind me."

"Bridge to Lieutenant Commander Kent." Kaldur'ahm's voice echoed through the holodeck.

Conner frowned at his name being called over intercom. He shared a look with Megan before pressing his combadge. "Kent here."

"Commander, I need you in my Ready Room. Immediately," Kaldur responded briefly.

"Understood, I'll be there soon. Kent out." Conner sighed and looked to Megan, "I'm sorry, I need to cut this short."

Megan nodded, understanding what his job entails. "Conner, it's fine. I'll still be here when you get back. I'll save a drink for you."

"You're amazing," Conner pecked her cheek.

"Conner!" She smiled with a laugh, "Go!"

The Tactical Officer chuckled as he walked away, "I'll be back!"

"I'm sure you will!" Megan winked.

"Computer, arch!" Conner commanded. An archway appeared in the middle of the beach leading directly to the hallways of the Justice. Kent took a moment to steal a glance at his partner before leaving to go to the bridge.


	7. A Late Night Visitor

Pissed didn't begin to describe the mood Artemis was currently in. Everything seemed to be going very badly for the Engineer. The modifications to the runabouts were going very slow, warp nacelle maintenance was behind schedule, and worst of all; the replicator accidentally deleted her favorite Pho recipe. Artemis was beyond pissed at this point. Livid was more apt. However she couldn't go down to the holodeck yet to blow off some steam. Currently she was seated in Kaldur'ahm's Ready Room waiting for the arrival of Conner.

With her was, of course, Kaldur and Richard. The Captain was seated in his chair starring at his laptop before him. His brow was furrowed, as though Kaldur was trying to process whatever information the computer gave him. Dick, however, was inspecting several Vulcan artifacts on the wall. A Lirpa seemed to attract the Commander's attention; weirdly enough

The door behind Artemis slid open and Conner Kent stumbled into the room as though he ran a marathon around the ship. "Sorry for being late Captain," He said, "Turbolift 2 is down."

' _Crap',_ Artemis thought, ' _Another problem I need to deal with,'_

Kaldur calmly closed his computer and looked to his Tactical Officer, "I understand, Mr. Kent." He motioned to the empty chair next to Artemis, "Please have a seat."

Conner nodded and pulled out the chair to sit. Dick stopped his admiration of Kaldur's decor and positioned himself to stand next to the desk.

"As you may know already," Kaldur began, "The USS Odyssey has been destroyed. Confirmation just came to me seventeen minutes ago."

Artemis nodded slowly, "I heard. So who did it?"

Kaldur and Dick shared a look as though the information was sensitive. The Captain turned back to his Engineer, "According to Commander Sisko, it was a Gamma Quadrant power known as the Dominion."

"The Dominion?" Conner questioned, "Who's the Dominion? How was our ship destroyed?"

"Easy Conner," Dick responded, "We don't know who they are yet. All we know is that they don't want us in the Gamma Quadrant. They destroyed several Bajoran colonies, kidnapped a Starfleet Officer, and kamikazed the Odyssey. They're telling us that they mean business."

Artemis frowned at the information, "Does that mean our priority has changed? Are we investigating the Dominion?"

Kaldur responded, "Starfleet has grounded all ventures into the Gamma Quadrant. No vessels will be allowed the Wormhole at this time; however we do need to consider the tactical possibility we will engage the Dominion. As such, Deep Space Nine is sending all tactical logs to all commands. As for our priorities, the Maquis are still our priority. We are still to dock at Deep Space Nine for several days before we link up with the civilian convoys."

"Alright," Artemis replied, "What does that mean for our divisions?"

"I will expect the Justice to be combat capable by the time we arrive at DS9." Kaldur began, "I need all divisions to focus on general maintenance first and on projects second."

"After those," Dick spoke up, "We can focus on preparations with the Dominion including shield frequency tuning, weapon modifications, and intelligence gathering. However, the Maquis come first."

Conner and Artemis gave nods of cooperation with those proposals. Kaldur turned his attention to Conner upon seeing his officers agree, "Mr. Kent, what is the tactical situation?"

Conner leaned forward in his chair to speak, "We're green across the board, sir. Tactical exercises are commencing as you've ordered, pilots are performing daily training in Holodeck 4, weapon lockers are fully stocked aboard the Justice and on the Hoppers."

"Commendable," Kaldur complemented his Tactical Officer, "Ms. Crock?"

Artemis fought the urge to jump out of her chair and run. She really wasn't ready to tell her Captain that Engineering was a mess. "Sir, there have been a few setbacks regarding maintenance and modifications of our systems. The runabout modifications are proceeding at a less than optimal pace, the warp nacelles need maintenance at a much sooner pace, and several food replicators have been having software issues with storage."

"I was wondering about that," Dick absentmindedly spoke, "The chicken whizees are missing."

"Yes, well…" Artemis began, "I have a team of engineers on top of those issues and we should have them sorted soon. Other than that maintenance schedules are on track and flight performance of the Peregrine fighters have been improved. They should respond better in the Badlands."

"Thank you, Ms. Crock," Kaldur commented, "Is there anything you need to reach your targets?"

"No, sir." Artemis responded, "Just a little more time."

"I am afraid that I cannot break the laws of physics. You will have to make do." Kaldur responded.

"Yes, sir." Artemis sat back in her chair.

"If there is nothing else to report, you are dismissed." Kaldur rose from his seat as did Conner and Artemis.

Artemis was glad to get out of there. She had way too much on plate and not enough time or patience to do it all. Honestly she needed a good long sonic shower and a warm bed to relax in. Her quarters was her next destination.

* * *

The relatively short distance to her quarters felt like an eternity. She pressed the control panel to her quarters and the doors slid open to reveal her half-lit room.

"Computer lights!" She commanded.

The room burst into light revealing trinkets, pictures, and a few trophies lining the walls. Her collection of Starfleet Academy medals shown back under the light.

She smiled a bit remembering each and everyone one of them. Most of them were for engineering and athletic competitions. However a few did stand out like the Phaser Marksman Challenge, a medal for a survival competition, and a mixed martial art trophy placing 2nd. All that was good, but there was only one thing she cared about in her quarters.

"Brucely! Momma's home!" She yelled out.

Stampering could be heard from her bedroom. The doors almost didn't open fast enough before a white pit bull burst forth and ran towards its owner. Brucely eagerly greeted his owner with a wagging tail and a content expression.

Artemis bent down to pet him, "Awe, did you miss me, boy?"

The pup enjoyed having his fur patted and played with. He seemed to be loving the affection he received from his owner. There's no doubt that Brucely missed Artemis.

However the reunion was cut short as a pair of footsteps could be heard coming from the bedroom. Immediately Brucely turned his back towards Artemis to face the bedroom door. The pup made a low growling sound as if there was a threat.

"What is it, boy?" Artemis asked concerned. She lifted her head towards the door, again hearing the door steps. Now she was on edge. "Who's there?"

Immediately the footsteps stopped and Artemis grew concerned. She stood up and slowly made her way towards the door; all with her hand hovering just over her combadge.

"Show yourself! I'll call security." She warned.

The door slid open to reveal a dark figure, "You wouldn't do that would you, baby girl?"

"No… you can't be here." Artemis exclaimed.

The figure stepped into the light. His blonde and silver hair glistened in the light of her quarters. His black tactical outfit, however, still hid himself in shadows. Lawrence Crock smugly grinned at her, "I can be anywhere I wish, and you know that."

"Why are you aboard the Justice?" Artemis demanded to know.

"Can't a father be with his daughter for a few minutes?" He acted as though he was innocent.

"You're not my father. Not since you abandoned my mother, Jade, and me in Cardassian Space." She countered.

"How is your mother and Jade?"

"Mom is far away from you on Earth. Jade's married and on her own. What's it to you?" Artemis narrowed her eyes.

"Must you be so hostile? I thought you Starfleet types were understanding and open; so much for being tolerant." His grin grew even wider showing some of his teeth.

"Shut up!" Artemis shouted, "You've done so much to harm us and so little to help! You nearly killed mom because you ran off to collect some debts with those Spoon-heads on Hefin IIV. You caused Jade a lifetime of abuse and humiliation. And I have had to deal with a criminal of a father. I hate you and everything you are!"

"I'm wounded," Lawrence mocked offense, "Do you think so little of your dear old dad? I've gotten better. I've gone legit now. I'm no longer in the family business."

Artemis fought every urge to run across the room and beat him into submission. "What do you mean?" She asked suspiciously.

"I'm shooting straight. I'm fighting for freedom and equality, just like you." Lawrence carefully watched her reaction.

"You're with the Maquis." Artemis realized.

"In a way," He remarked, "Not officially, but they need weapons and information."

"And you need money." Artemis glared.

"You know me too well, baby girl." He smirked.

"I should have you arrested." Artemis snarled.

"But you can't. You need me."

"Why?" She asked with growing irritation.

"I know something about your little group that you don't know." He reasoned.

"What do you mean?" She questioned further.

"Section 31 is on your ship." He responded.

Artemis' brow furrowed as she couldn't understand, "What do you mean? What's Section 31?"

"You're a smart, Starfleet girl," He replied, "I'll let you figure that one out. But you should know that they are here helping the Maquis."

"In what way?" Artemis asked

"Ah, ah, ah," Lawrence wagged his finger at her, "I can't reveal that. It would put my business at risk. I just thought it would be good for you to know."

Artemis gritted her teeth, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Simple," He smirked, "I just want you to have a fair fight. Is that so much for your father to ask for?"

"I don't want anything to do with you." Artemis replied.

Lawrence chuckled deeply, "What a shame. I thought I thought you better." He stepped towards the windows of Artemis' quarters. "I did enjoy our time together sweetheart, we should do this again."

"Goodbye, Lawrence." She venomously sneered at him.

He chuckled again before pulling out a device from his pocket. The device blinked twice in his hand before Lawrence was covered in a veil of white blue light. In a flash, he disappeared without a trace.

Artemis hesitated before pressing her combadge on her chest. "Lieutenant Crock to…" She hesitated for a few second trying to think of someone to talk to about tonight. "To Lieutenant West."

Within a few seconds a reply came back over the combadge, "West here."

"Wally? It's Artemis."

"Yeah, I got that. What's up?" He asked as though it was odd for her to be contacting him at this time.

"I… I had a visitor tonight." She told him.

"Who was it?" He asked jokingly, not knowing what was really going on. "An ex-boyfriend?"

"No," Artemis wasn't amused at the joke, "It was him."

Wally immediately knew who she was talking about. This wasn't the first time that this has happened. "Artemis, are you okay? Do you need me to come over?"

"No, I'm fine. I just…" She paused and ran a hand through her hair, "I just need someone to talk to."

"I'm here." He reassured her.

"I know," she replied, "I know."

 **/ Hey guys! Sorry I've been off on posting. Things are a little crazy with my education and work schedule. Anyways chapter 7 is up and the story is going to pick up more as we go on. If you guys could, give me a review so that I can improve my writing and offer a wonderful story to you guys!**


	8. Deep Space Nine

_Captain's log: Stardate 48032. Justice has finally arrived at Deep Space Nine. All preparations are being made for the patrol of the Demilitarized Zone with the aid of the station's Chief of Engineer. Already our runabouts have been modified with specific modules we need for recovery missions and the replicator issue has been repaired. That stated, I believe it to be of the best interests of the crew to facilitate what humans call "rest and relaxation". My Chief Science Officer and I have remained aboard in order to oversee the final preparations of this vessel._

Kaldur walked past one of the science stations just to the rear of the bridge. In his hand was a PADD with a read out of every single system check. He took a glance at the science station nearest to him before moving on, The Captain had always prided himself on the readiness of his vessel, something he learned from experience of the Cardassian border wars. Kaldur could specifically remember his time aboard the Lexington as the Chief Tactical Officer, when the Cardassians first attacked his ship. To say he was unprepared, was an understatement. However the ship made it through the fight and Kaldur learned to always expect the unexpected.

This was something he hoped to inspire in his subordinates. All of them, he admit, had the potential to surprise him with their abilities. Right now, his Science Officer was doing just that by single-handedly readying every system on the bridge.

Zatanna stood at the Engineering station with a tricorder in one hand and the keyboard in the other. Her rapid hand movements could only be described as precise. What the Kaldur found surprising was that his science officer was a human-betazoid; not a Vulcan. He Had to admit that he found the situation fascinating.

"Impulse drives are modified for travel in the Badlands," Zatanna suddenly declared, "Give me a few minutes to reconfigure the helm controls."

"Take your time, Lieutenant. We will be here until tomorrow, 16:00." Kaldur informed her as he pressed a few keys on his PADD.

"Yes, sir." She replied.

The Captain looked back to Zatanna for a moment before speaking again, "Ms. Zatara? May I ask why you're aboard the Justice when there are orders to "rest and relax"?

Zatanna stopped typing for a moment as though she was thinking about the question, "I just didn't see the need to?"

"May I ask why?" Kaldur quickly asked.

"I just…" The Science Officer paused while she thought of her answer. Kaldur could clearly see that she wasn't really sure why she wanted to stay aboard. However, the Vulcan noted, it just takes time for the truth to come out. "I just don't really see the point of being a scientist on a mission to stop a bunch of terrorists. I'll just be bored throughout the trip."

The Captain nodded slowly at her answer as though he knew what she felt, "I understand completely, Ms. Zatara. I used to be a tactical officer before the Cardassian border wars."

Zatanna looked up to her Captain with a confused expression.

"I should clarify," Kaldur continued, "I understand how it is to feel useless and be restless over it."

The science officer shook her head, "It's not that I feel useless. It's just that I'll have more free time than I would like. It's not like plasma storms are an old thing to astrophysicists, but it's just not as exciting as discovering a new planet or a new civilization. I was hoping to be exploring through the Wormhole, not sitting in my research lab."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow but he wasn't surprised by her reaction. Instead he put his pad down on one of the bridge stations and spoke, "I understand, but I believe you need to keep an open mind. The Badlands are an area of space that's nearly one cubic lightyear in size. It should be taken into consideration that your skills as an astrophysicist will be an asset to our team and to Starfleet. I wouldn't request you as my Science Officer if I didn't believe you would be useful to this ship."

Zatanna seemed to be blown away that a Vulcan could express such emotion in a speech and still be emotionless. "I suppose I hadn't considered that."

"I suppose so." Kaldur'ahm replied, "As such I am giving you orders to take your leave on Deep Space Nine. I expect you to be well rested by the time we disembark tomorrow afternoon."

"Is that a suggestion or an order?" She asked.

Kaldur seemed slightly amused, "I will allow you to see that phrase however you wish."

Zatanna chuckled as she rose to her feet, "Yes sir."

"I do believe that most of the Bridge Officers are at the bar on the station. If you would like to introduce yourself to your new executive officer, I believe he is also there." Kaldur noted to her.

The Lieutenant moved across the bridge towards the turbolift. The lift opened but Zatanna didn't board. "I'll be sure to meet with all of them." She stepped unto the lift before flashing a confidant smile at her commanding officer, "Deck fourteen."

The doors closed on her and the Captain was finally alone on the bridge. Kaldur would have found the situation humorous had he been a human, but as a Vulcan he had to keep his emotions in check. Still, the Captain knew that his Science Officer would have certain hurdles to overcome if she was ever to be a model Starfleet Officer.

The turbolift ride and short walk on the station seemed to fly by Zatanna. In a matter of minutes, she was entering the promenade of Deep Space Nine. She had to marvel at all the people, places, and structures that the station brought forth. The Promenade was divided into two decks with the bottom floor being reserved for shops and the top floor housing restaurants and windows peering out into space.

Just before the Science Officer was the medical bay of the station. From what she could see there was few patients in today; besides the Klingon with an upset stomach. However she did notice a certain Orion medical officer and her significant other talking with the station's doctor. Zatanna had to admit, the doctor didn't look half bad.

Though, the station's doctor is not who she was looking for. She wanted to see her shipmates and maybe get a drink or two from the bar. Zatanna took her time traveling down the curving corridor of the Promenade. The bright lights reflected off the chrome surfaces of the walls and the skywalk. Eventually a dark orange mural caught her eye. The mural was located within one of the shops that happened to be the bar she was looking for.

She immediately stepped through the threshold and noticed the change inside. The lights seemed to be dimmed from the lights of the promenade, making the hues of the mural shine brighter. Patrons of the bar huddled around one of the game tables near the mural while others mingled around the bar. One thing she did notice was that the bar was staffed by mostly Ferengi with a few Bajoran women serving tables or working the Dabo wheel. To her left Zatanna saw Artemis, Wally, and their new Executive Office.

They were seated at one of the table near the bar; one of the many that could seat four. The Commander was flanked by the two bridge officers and they seemed to be in a deep conversation about something important.

"Dick, I have a question," Artemis could be heard asking, "What's Section 31?"

"Section 31?" The Commander asked. Dick looked like he was coming up with a way to answer the question, but Zatanna caught his eye and his attention diverted towards her, "Hi!"

Zatanna raised her hand in a small wave, "Hello."

Artemis looked at Zatanna and back to Dick, realizing that he had not yet been introduced to her. "Oh, Dick, this is Lieutenant Zatanna Zatara. Our Chief Science Officer." She motion to Zatanna and from Zatanna back to Dick, "Zatanna, this is Commander Richard Grayson."

"Acting Commander," Dick reminded as he held a hand out to Zatanna, "Nice to meet you, Zatanna."

His smile was easily contagious, and she returned the smile before gasping his hand, "Nice to meet you too… erm, Dick."

He gave a small chuckled before scratching the back of his neck. Zatanna could have sworn that she saw a hint of red on his cheeks, but the lighting of the bar made it difficult to see.

Artemis cleared her throat to make her presence known. This caused both Dick and Zatanna to jump. "Oh right, right," Dick said quickly as he sat down with Zatanna sitting across from him, "Section 31."

Dick rested his head on his hands as he began to think about the question. It took a few moments, but the Commander finally remembered something from his past, "Ah. Section 31 refers to an old part of the Starfleet Charter governing that Starfleet has the ability to take any action during pressing times. I believe there once was an organization with that name, but they went defunct in the 23rd century. Why did you want to know?"

Artemis sat back in her seat trying to look nonchalant, "Wally and I just came upon the name while researching about Christopher Pike. The name sounded interesting and I was wondering if you knew more."

"I don't, sorry." Dick apologized, "I could see if Bruce knows... but it might be a little while." He silently referred to the grief that Admiral Wayne was currently going through with the loss of his adopted son.

Artemis nodded understandingly, "I know. I hope he's doing okay."

"He'll pull through," Dick quietly stated, "He always does."

Zatanna nodded slowly before stopping at what Artemis said earlier. "Wait a minute," She thought back, "Why were you researching about Captain Pike?"

Wally decided to answer for Artemis instead, "We uh… we just thought it would be fun to study a bit about history. You know like back in the Academy days?"

His delivery was suspicious enough. Zatanna could already see a few flaws in their story like the fact that Artemis hated her history classes or that Wally hated his time at the Academy. But something was more was suspicious about their story.

"Artemis," She questioned, "I thought you hated working with Wally?"

Artemis' eyes went wide for a moment as Zatanna found the flaw in her story. Wally looked on with an expression of amusement. Richard was trying his best to piece together the situation.

The Engineer looked to the members around the table and huffed, "Okay you got me."

"Artemis?" Wally questioned as it look like she was about to spill everything.

"I received an encoded message from a friend." She started slow judging her fellow crew mates, "The message was about the Maquis and their benefactors. They told me that they believed a group known as Section 31 was helping to fund and arm the rebels."

Richard shook his head at the story, "The Maquis getting funding from Starfleet? That's highly unlikely."

"I know it sounds unlikely, but I have good confidence in this friend and I think they are telling the truth." Artemis protested.

Dick didn't seem completely convinced by this friend. In fact he seemed suspicious of the information and the source, "Might I ask who this 'friend' is?"

Artemis shook her head before staring down at the table, "I… I can't tell you."

Wally thought it was finally time to defend his crew mate and so he looked at his friend with a convinced look, "She can't tell you, Dick, but I can confirm that this friend is a reputable source. I think you should trust Artemis on this one."

Dick shook pondered this new information for a while. Finally he made his decision, "Okay, I'll look into Section 31 and if there is Starfleet officers giving aid to the Maquis."

"Thank you, sir." Artemis smiled.

Suddenly Wally, Artemis, Dick, and Zatanna's combadges burst to life; "All Justice personal please report to your stations. This is priority one. All Justice personal please report to you duty stations."

All four officers looked at one another and jumped out of their seats. They all knew where they needed to go and what to do. The question that rested on everyone's minds was this; what was going on?

 **/ Hey Guys! I think my writing is really starting to improve, thank you for all the helpful suggestions! Anyways I have some really good plans in store for our Starfleet officers. ;) Read and review please and I'll have a chapter next week for you!**


	9. The Refugees Part 1

_Captain's log: Supplemental. A distress call has been sent from a Cardassian vessel near the Badlands. From what we can gather from the intermittent transmissions, the Cardassian vessel is a civilian ship full of refugees from the dissent movement on Cardassia. They have come under attack from a small force of raiders. The Justice has responded to this crisis and we are at high warp towards the Badlands. Fighters have been prepared and crews are standing by. I have several reservations about the situation, however._

Combat was not nothing new to the Captain. In his many years of exemplary service to Starfleet, Kaldur'ahm has been in over fifty engagements on multiple ships in a multitude of different combat situations. He compared it to being a musician, being able to leap into the melody of a practiced song no matter where you start. It was something one could very easily slip into.

On board the Justice, it was no different. His battle trained crew knew the ins and outs of his vessel including any weak spots and the strengths the Akira Class had. Many of his crew were veterans of the Cardassian border wars; and those who were not at least trained under officers who were. They all knew the drill and what to do.

Kaldur sat in his chair watching the stars and space particles zip by the view screen. These long trips usually gave the Captain a long time to think about his strategy and how best to achieve victory. However, with a lack of information about the Cardassian civilian craft or the position of the craft, it would hard to formulate a plan against the Maquis. Still, Kaldur had to be ready for anything.

The ship had been at maximum warp for under several hours. The Badlands being a few light years away meant that the trip would be relatively short; but with a ship in distress, every minute felt like an eternity. Even to the Vulcan Captain, the trip was taking far too long. Kaldur looked to his Helmsman just ahead of him, "Mr. West, can you increase warp past 9.8?"

Wally stopped plotting courses into his computer long enough to glance back at his Captain, "Yes Sir, But I would risk flying the Justice apart."

Remembering a quote from his most influential idol, Kaldur said, "Fly her apart then."

"Aye, sir." Wally looked back at his controls and adjusted his panel accordingly, "Increasing warp factor to 9.81."

Steadily the Justice began to vibrate. The ship only had a safe maximum speed of 9.8; any further and the warp engines would rip the ship to shreds. However the slight increase in speed would turn the next hour into a few minutes.

"Sir," Artemis spoke up from her engineering station, "I have to protest that we are over the rated safety limits for the warp engines."

Kaldur didn't even look at her station, instead keeping his eyes ahead at the screen, "I will take your protest under advisement, Ms. Crock. Helm, continue our present heading."

"Aye, sir."

Artemis looked slightly dejected that her recommendations were ignored by the supposedly logical Captain. It might not be her ship, per say, but she was responsible for keeping the vessel running at optimal conditions. The Chief Engineer's recommendations were a serious thing to push aside. However, she didn't press the issue, instead keeping her attention trained back to engine conditions.

"Coming out of Warp," Wally announced from the helm.

The streaks of light outside slowed to bulbs of stars and distant planetoids. Likewise a huge gaseous mix of orange and reds twirled before the Justice. It looked to be a cloud of massive proportions; except it wasn't the gorgeous white clouds of Earth. The gas emitted light against the grey hull of the vessel illuminating the Justice in a sickly brown hue. The only comparison would be the setting late in the day at dusk. The importance of this gaseous anomaly was simple; this was the Badlands. The Justice had arrived at its destination.

Immediately Captain Kaldur'ahm rose from his seat and walked forward towards the screen. His demeanor seemed to carry a sense of urgency and seriousness that almost seemed human. That said, he still kept his emotions in check when he turned to Kent and spoke, "Tactical, where is the distress call originating from?"

The sound of electronic beeps could be heard coming from the station behind the Captain's chair. Conner was busying typing something in his computer, "Looks like it's at bearing 78 point 3; elevation of point 5."

"Understood," Kaldur turned back to the Wally, "Helm, lay in a course for bearing 78 exactly; elevation point 4. Maximum impulse."

"Aye, sir," Wally replied.

Kaldur placed his hands behind his back and turned his attention back to the view screen. Richard also rose from his seat and cautiously approached his Captain. He seemed to be walking on eggshells as though he didn't want to encroach on Kaldur's terms. Dick had to be respectful of his Captain's decisions and act responsible as the second-in-command of the Justice. "So what is your plan, sir?"

Kaldur raised his head a few centimeters, but kept his attention towards the screen, "We will be using the Justice as a block between the raiders and the civilian ship. We will fight off the Maquis and pursue when they ultimately call off the attack."

"Sounds like a plan." Dick commented.

"Sir, we're in visual range." Conner reported from his station.

"On screen." Kaldur ordered as he turned his attention from Richard to the screen.

The view screen suddenly zoomed towards the Badlands. Before the Justice laid the Cardassian ship limping through space. The bronze vessel looked to be a similar size to the Justice, but was designed differently with the widest part of the ship being the half-moon shape in the front of the vessel and the angular body of the vessel getting progressively thinner near the stern. The ship was not in good shape. Burn marks could be seen all across it; alongside hull breaches and ion scoring.

Three tiny vessels could also be seen of varying designs. The smaller ships were unloading torpedoes and phaser weapons against the Cardassian ship. The weapons fire of the smaller vessels could have lit up the darkness of space, had the plasma storms of the nearby Badlands not illuminate the current scene.

"Helm, put us between the Cardassian ship and the Maquis fighters. Tactical load photon torpedoes and arm phasers. Send a general transmission to all hostile parties to cease all hostilities." Kaldur gave his orders to his bridge officers. The tone that he gave seemed to be even as though he was in similar situations before.

"Message sent, sir." Conner announced and replied back immediately, "No response."

Kaldur could feel the tension begin to build when none of the ships were returning back hails. "Mr. Kent, target the lead ship. Aim for the weapons."

"Aye," A bright orange beam of light leaped from the phaser bank of the Justice and struck one of the smaller vessels head on. The bright blue hue of the shield could be briefly seen before the rest of the discharge slammed into the hull and tore a hole near where the weapons were located. After the hit the vessels began to flee from the scene.

"Direct hit, sir." Conner reported victoriously, "They are breaking off their attack of the Cardassian ship, shall we pursue?"

"Make it so." Kaldur replied, "Helm, follow the Maquis raiders. Flank speed."

"Yes, sir!" Wally replied as he manipulated his controls to bring all power to the engines. Suddenly and without warning, Wally's control panel exploded in a shower of sparks. The helmsman did his best to protect himself and shot out of his seat to get away from the threat.

"Mr. West?" Kaldur asked as all attention on the bridge turned towards the panicked bridge officer.

"My control panel just exploded!" Wally cried as he sat back down in his seat and examined his controls, "I've lost helm control. All systems on my station are completely downed."

"Impulse is out too, sir." Artemis replied from her station in a hint of frustration, "In fact I've lost all response to navigation controls."

"Are all impulse systems down?" Dick asked with concern as he approached her station to view the status report.

"Yeah," Artemis frowned at the control station, which was informing her of multiple problems from the bridge all the way down to the impulse drive section. "We're a sitting duck right now."

Kaldur faced Artemis with as much concern as a Vulcan could show, "Ms. Crock, send all available engineering teams to repair impulse thrusters. Take any personnel you need with you."

The Engineer got up from her station with an immediate response, "Aye sir." She practically ran to the turbolift as she rushed to get down to Engineering.

"Mr. Kent, dispatch a wing of fighters to pursue the Maquis raiders. Take Lieutenant West with you to pilot one of the Peregrines." The captain commanded.

"Aye, sir." Kent gave a single nod towards Wally who wordlessly got up from his position and followed Conner down towards the hanger bay.

Kaldur turned his attention to Zatanna and Dick, "Commander Grayson and Lieutenant Zatara, I need you to escort the Chief Medical Officer over to the Cardassian ship. See what the damage is and report back to the conference room once we stabilize the situation."

Zatanna rose from her station and gave the captain a nod. Richard looked as though he was hesitant about the situation; especially with who he was helping. However he swallowed his pride,"Understood sir."

The two glanced back at each other before heading towards the turbolift doors. Kaldur knew that the two would be in a bad situation. Many times before he had boarded a vessel to find its occupants in dire straights. He understood what horrors awaited the rest of his crew in this proxy war. "Good luck," He wishes his two crew members before they departed on the lift.

* * *

The travel to the Transporter room was quick, and the two plus Megan and a small team of medical doctors were beamed over to the Cardassian vessel in no time. When they re-materialized, the whole vessel seemed to be in flames. Conduits and electronics were spilling out onto the floors. A multitude of fires were set ablaze by the exposed wiring, a plasma fire down the hall was being worked on by two Cardassian crewmembers. What's worse is that the hallways were strewn with bodies, living and dead.

Dick could feel the dread of death in the air; followed closely by the heat and asphyxiation of the fires that raged. His ears were ringing with the sound of the roaring fires and the blood curdling screams from the crew and passengers. If Hell had existed in this galaxy; this very ship could be mistaken as that place.

The medical crew with Dick quickly dispersed around the vessel attending to downed crewmen. A Cardassian laid wounded not far away. Megan and another medic ran over to inspect what could be done, Dick followed closely behind.

Megan was quick to act and pulled out a medical tricorder to see what was wrong. It occurred to Dick that his Chief Medical Officer was an expert in medical triage when she quickly closed the tricorder and pointed directly at the neck of the Cardassian, "He has a fracture in cervical column. I'm also seeing first degree and radiation burns. We need to get him back to the Justice."

Richard nodded and was about to give the okay when something caught his eye about the Cardassian's clothing. Instead of the usual armored plate and black combat fatigues; this Cardassian had brown clothing and a tan undershirt. Normally such things wouldn't concern the Commander, but it wasn't the clothing that caught his attention. It was a small button with a swirl of purple, yellow, and white; colors of the Dissent Movement.

"Megan, we need to report back to the Justice as soon as we can help these people." Dick told her as he continued to look at the button.

"Commander?" Megan paused from treating her patient as she looked to the Grayson.

"This man is a part of the Cardassian Dissent Movement," He responded, "He's a refugee."

 **/ Hey guys! The next part of the story is up! I've been getting some extremely good ideas as of late and I think this story might see some big changes soon. Least of which is that I might start revising earlier chapters to make them longer and more detailed. (A lot of people aren't Star Trek fans :P)**

 **Anyways, I will be training some new p**


	10. The Refugees Part 2

To be truthful, Kaldur wasn't sure what emotion he was trying to repress. At first he felt remorse and sadness at the situation. Yet, anger and fury threatened to surface. He could feel those emotions bubbling to the surface. However he needed to keep composed and calm. It was not the way of Vulcans to base their actions on emotions; logic had to be adhered to.

The PADD on the conference table in front of Kaldur reported the recent events of the engagement and investigation of the Cardassian vessel. It wasn't a complete list but from what Kaldur could read, he could see that the incident aboard the other ship was not a normal situation,

"Refugees?" He asked looking to his Second-in-Command.

"Yes, sir." Richard reported back. The Commander was sitting next to Kaldur on the corner of the long table. He rubbed the top of his hand with the other; a sort of nervous tick he had when something was uncomfortable. It seemed as though the situation did not sit well with Dick. "They are members of the dissident movement on Cardassia Prime. They were advocating for the restoration of democracy and the Detapa Council."

Cardassia has been known for its brutal military junta. Rights were very limited to regular citizens, and in truth political power was held with a group of military commanders called the Central Command. The Detapa Council was suppose to be the civilian government.

"So they were civilians? Why did they have an old military transport?" Conner asked from across the table. It was obvious that he was skeptical of the situation. Cardassian, as he knew, were not always to be trusted.

"You have to understand, a retired military transport is probably the only civilian vessel large enough for a thousand people." Megan explained her point of view to Conner, "They probably had to steal that ship."

Conner processed the information with a frown. He knew that what Megan made sense; a people like the Cardassian probably only used large transport vessels for the military. Still, he could not ignore something else, "Then why fly through the Badlands? I can understand if they want to avoid Cardassian warships, but why here?"

"I think I can explain." Zatanna spoke from down the table. She had a PADD in her hand and it looked like she was manipulating the holographic cameras in the conference room. Suddenly a depiction of the Badlands appeared on the table. The orange hue was contrasted with the dark blue markings of what appeared to be planets. "I think they may have been trying to seek living on one of the uncharted planetoids in the Badlands. It makes perfect sense if you want to avoid a tyrannical government and live out a life of your own."

"Sounds reasonable," Dick spoke up as he stopped rubbing his hand, "Those dissidents just want a place to go and live in peace. Any one would."

"That does seem to be a valid reason," Kaldur spoke, "However, the Maquis seem not to be as cooperative."

"An old military transport might do that," Wally pointed out.

"Or it could be the way the Maquis see them," Artemis added, "Many people in the Demilitarized Zone remember the attacks against civilians by the Cardies. Some have been expressing very repugnant ideologies about other cultures. Cargo tug or not, this attack could be motivated by speciesism."

"So the Maquis are shooting at refugees because they are different?" Conner asked disgustedly.

"Yeah." Dick muttered sadly, "It reminds me of a few incidents that happened on 21st Century Earth."

"But that's hundreds of years ago, Dick." Conner added, "I thought we as Federation Citizens had evolved past such barbarity."

"The Maquis are not members of the Federation." Kaldur'ahm pointed out, "They renounced their citizenship when the Federation had pulled out of the Demilitarized Zone. They do not adhere to the Federation's principles."

Everyone else looked to one another with an uncomfortable look. That is all except Artemis who knew the inner politics of the Demilitarized Zone. She looked directly at her Captain and spoke, "I understand, sir. We're dealing with a terror group."

"I would not place the Maquis firmly in that term, but I concede that their actions could be described as such." Kaldur explained his position. He looked back down at the PADD for a moment to think about his next topic. He looked up at Conner and Wally, "Mr. Kent, Mr. West; what was the situation with the Maquis fighters?"

"We weren't quick enough, sir." Conner explained, "We launched fighters and gave chase into the Badlands, only to lose them after a few hours."

"Regrettable, but I understand that the situation was difficult." Kaldur'ahm knew their position as they had been launched at the very last minute. The Maquis simply had a head start compared to the crew of the Justice. He steepled his hands before looking towards Artemis, "Ms. Crock, what is the situation with the Justice?"

Artemis grimaced at Kaldur addressing her. It seemed as though she wasn't prepared to give a presentation yet on how bad things were going in Engineering. Yet she needed to come clean and tell him exactly what the problem is. "Well, sir, the Justice is not going anywhere. Impulse engines are completely fried."

"As expected." Kaldur replied, "But may I ask what the extent of the damage is?"

The Chief Engineer activated the touchscreen on the table and began to type. After a few seconds, the image of the Badlands switched to a blue diagram of the USS Justice. Inside the blue ship were red areas marking where exactly the damage occurred. The image showed a lot of red markings near the engines.

With a sigh Artemis began, "The impulse controls were destroyed immediately. Primary and secondary systems for the engines were also trashed. There was damage to chemical thrusters too, but that can be easily repaired. Likewise the Helm Control Station on the bridge can be easily repaired.

Kaldur stayed in his seat looking at the hologram. After a short time he untangled his hands and leaned forward to speak, "How long will it be before the damage is repaired?"

Artemis was quick to answer the question; too quick. "It'll take us a few days to just repair the damage to the Helm and chemical thrusters..."

Tellingly Artemis didn't answer the question fully. She convenient left out information about the Impulse engines. Kaldur knew immediately that something was wrong when she didn't want to come clean, "And what of the Impulse Drive?"

Artemis furrowed her brow and inhaled slowly as though she was bracing for the reaction her crew would have, "About four weeks, provided we make it back to dry dock."

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose knowing his mission would be set back almost a month. This was not the news he expected to hear. In fact he thought that the damage would have been minimal and they could continue to track down the Maquis. Instead they would have to be towed all the way back to Deep Space Nine and wait for repairs to finish. "So that's it? We can't fix it out here?" He asked.

"No," Artemis replied lowly. "Even with my expertise and my army of engineers, I won't be able to properly reconstruct the Impulse Drive. Not to mention we'll be a sitting her for a long time." The Engineer looked to Conner for confirmation on her last statement.

"Artemis is right. We'll be easy pickings for any Maquis raiders." Conner pointed out. He exhaled and tapped the table with his finger tips, "We could use our runabouts to conduct operations, but we'll still be largely combat ineffective."

Megan frowned and decided to give her two cents, "There's also the elephant in the room; what do we do about the Cardassian ship?"

The Captain took a few moments to think about the problem. He could see that time was ticking away and that their problems were multiplying. The Justice was without Impulse and basically stranded in space. There was a large number of souls aboard the Cardassian vessel he didn't know about. Before he could come up with a plan, he needed to know more, "How many Cardassians are there?"

"1,047," Megan responded without pause. She knew the exact number from when she and her medical team provided check ups. "439 men, 512 women, and 96 minors and children. 84 of them are in critical condition, however."

Kaldur nodded and thought through his plan. He knew that the wounded would have to immediately be evacuated to Deep Space Nine regardless. If the Justice was operational he could take the refugees out of the system either to Deep Space Nine or a Federation planet. Although the Justice's Impulse drive was damaged, they could still tow it with the refugees back to Deep Space Nine. "Is it possible to tow the Justice to Deep Space Nine with the Dissidents?"

"Yes and no." Conner quickly replied, as though he already thought about the situation. "We could definitely tow everyone back to DS9. The station has the resources to hold a large number of people, but can only house 500 individuals; disregarding how many permanent residents it has."

"So DS9 is out. What about Bajor or another Federation planet?" Dick started to catch onto what Kaldur was thinking.

"I don't believe Bajor will be taking in Cardassian refugees," Kaldur immediately shut down the idea, "With lingering resentment over the occupation, that just is not an option."

"A Federation planet would also have to wait," Conner added, "There's just no way we could transport a thousand people with a broken starship and a half destroyed transport."

"We could find a nearby planet to house them." Dick suggested, "You know, until Starfleet can send us a dedicated transport?"

"That will have to be the best course of action." Kaldur agreed. He look towards his Tactical Officer with a purpose, "Mr. Kent, I am tasking you and Mr. Grayson with finding a suitable colony to take refugees. Try to find one with a large population that can help sustain them for now."

Conner coolly nodded at the order. He knew he could comfortably carry out those orders. "Yes, sir."

Kaldur watched the reactions of each of his crew members with a thoughtful expression. He knew that the situation was precarious at best. However he could not falter in his service. He had to be an exemplary officer. The Captain knew he could rely on his crew to carry out his orders, "If there is nothing more, you are all dismissed. Carry out your orders."

Everyone rose to their feet at once. Kaldur could see his two lead officers leave the conference room to find a Colony for the Cardassian refugees. Zatanna gathered her PADDs and left the room not long after followed by Megan. However he noticed that his Engineer and Helm Officer stayed in the room. Their expressions were mixed with fear and nervousness, especially when they began to approach Kaldur.

"Ms. Crock, Mr. West, is there something you wish to speak about?" He tried to diplomatically open conversation to his officers.

Wally's gaze was drawn to the floor as though he had something bad to say. A hand ran through his hair as though he was trying to think about what to say.

However it was Artemis who took the lead. Her eyes were affixed directly at the Captain. Kaldur knew that Artemis was only this focused when something urgent came up. Something that was obviously wrong.

"Sir, there's something we need to tell you." Her hesitation could be felt from light years out. Whatever she and Wally were about to say, it had to be important.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Kaldur asked.

"We believe there's a saboteur, sir."

 **/ Sorry for the late post everyone. I was in the hospital due to an active fight at my job. Doing better now and I have a bit of time to focus on this. I hope you guys aren't disappointed by this chapter.**


	11. The Refugees Part 3

Runabouts in Federation service were used mostly for dignitary transport and support vessels for larger ships like cruisers. Their size was a bit more spacious than a Type 19 shuttle, and had a number of amenities. There were sleeping quarters, a few restrooms, a full transporter, room for over 40 people, and even a replicator. However, despite the differences, there were plenty of similarities.

Conner knew everything about these small ships. Like how both had the same power plant, how they flew extremely well in atmosphere, and that there was a slight glitch with the LCARs keyboard when you applied too much power to the computer. It was fair to say that he could practically live in a runabout. However, he was not the pilot for this trip. Instead Lieutenant West was at the helm.

Captain Kaldur'ahm and Commander Grayson had discovered a colony not far from the Justice. It had a breathable atmosphere, plenty of fresh drinking water, and a large food supply due to the agricultural products there. Marva VI was the name of the colony. It was situated very close to the Badlands, making it a very good location to house refugees; at least for a short time. The atmosphere had slightly more nitrogen than most habitable, but it was livable for a time.

The colony was a human settlement. Wally knew of it from reports he saw during the Cardassian Wars. The people had experienced the war a few times, but it's people would have been far removed; unlike colonies like Setlik III. Compared to those war torn planets, this place was almost untouched by the conflict

The runabout suddenly shook throwing Conner off guard. His gear shifted on the floor and he had to brace himself against his control. Wally in the seat next to him was calmly pressing the controls on his dash. Within moments the ship settled and continued its course, "Sorry, sir. Atmospheric turbulence. This planet is a bit choppy. Updrafts are pretty common due to the mountains to the north"

Wally had warned everyone earlier that the planet's atmosphere was slightly thicker than usual and that updrafts were common. The mountains usually caused the high winds to blow at high speeds and create intense lightning storms across the valleys. Although he'd been through combats drops and hazardous weather, Conner had never experienced shaking that bad.

"It's alright Lieutenant. Steady as she goes." He reassured his Helmsman.

Wally nodded in return, "Aye, sir."

Conner resettled in his seat and thought about their current mission. There was a sizable village just in the northern valley. The area was well developed enough for the population to support several hundred settlers. There was a huge downtown area in the middle of the village, but the outlying region had more than enough space to support the agricultural operations and take in those refugees. That was were they were planning to leave the refugees temporarily. A number of temporary shelters could be manufactured and deployed before the Justice was towed back to Deep Space Nine. This would be the refugee's temporary home until they could be properly transported deeper to Federation Space, away from the Cardassians.

The only part of the plan left was to ask the colony's representative if the refugees could stay. Kaldur'ahm had no doubt that the Colony's leader would approve seeing as they were desperate for short-term labor for the current harvest. It would be the most logical course of action and mutually beneficial to both the Cardassians harvesting and the colonists.

The plan was set and it was up to Conner, Wally, and Dick to negotiate with the representatives. The Runabout pulled out of the cloud cover and began to descend on the city. Through the side viewport Conner had a great view of the green countryside that lined the valley. In the distance he could see the huge mountains poking through the clouds and fog as though to greet the new arrivals. So far away from Earth, nothing else seemed to look so gorgeous.

"Runabout Mississippi, you are clear to set down on Landing Pad 'C' at the government complex." A voice announced from Wally's console.

"Copy that, tower. I have eyes on Landing Pad 'C'. Out." Wally smirked a bit as he watched the scenery fly by. "I'm honestly impressed by the area, sir. It looks amazing."

"As am I, Lieutenant," Conner allowed himself the luxury of wearing a smile. "When will we be touching down?"

"In just a minute. We're on final approach." Wally pointed out.

"Understood," Conner replied as he rose to his feet, "I'm going into the back to inform Commander Grayson. He'll be leading negotiations."

"Yes, sir."

Conner got up from his seat headed towards the back of the Runabout. Dick was in the back room going over several reports he had received earlier from Starfleet Command and writing several new ones to send back. The Tactical Officer had no doubt in his mind that one of the reports that Dick was writing might have to do with the damage to the Justice.

Before Conner could even press the chime, the door opened to reveal the Executive Officer standing at the door as though he was going out. The Lieutenant Commander was taken off guard and took a step back.

"Sorry, sir. I was just about to call for you..." Conner paused when he noticed something off about the Commander.

Immediately Conner saw that Dick looked distressed about something in particular. His brow was furrowed as though something badhas crossed his mind. His uniform was wrinkled and his hair was unkempt as though he was running his In his hand was a PADD that seemed to be open to a page about Marva's current politics. It looked as though the page was open to an article on the recent election. However that wasn't what was concerning. What was concerning was the phaser pistol strapped to his hip.

"Sir? Are we expecting a fight?"

Grayson inhaled deeply before speaking, "Mr. Kent, I need you and Lieutenant West to grab a phaser, just in case."

"Sir?" Conner's eyes widened at the situation.

"That's an order." Dick stated, "I'll explain once you get those weapons on."

The Tactical Officer could only nod before running to one of the weapons lockers. In the locker were several phaser pistols and cases for them. Conner was just going to grab those weapons and close the lockers when several photon grenades and a phaser rifle caught his eye. He grabbed a backpack from one of the supply stores and several more items before closing the lockers and exiting towards the cockpit.

When he arrived Wally was just setting down the Runabout on the pad and Dick was seated at a side station looking out the front viewport. Outside there were several armed guards with particle weapons. Their weapons looked to be depowered, but just the fact that there were weapons in the first place raised Conner's suspicions.

"Commander? What is going on?" He asked.

Dick looked to Wally who had turned his chair around and then to Conner. His expression was one of dread. It seemed like time was passing too slow for everyone, as Conner and Wally waited for an explanation. "What I'm about to tell you is not suppose to be told in front of these people. However several months ago there was a general recall on all local leaders in the area. Politicians somehow found themselves thrown out of office in what almost seemed to be a coordinated effort, but it all took place in a democratic process."

"Are you saying it was a coup?" Wally chimed in.

"That's the thing, it seems like it, but there's no explanation for it." Dick's brows furrowed in confusion once more. "The people originally in political leadership were pushed out and most of the newly elected politicans came from a party that, until a few months ago, was largely unpopular. None of Political Scientists at Starfleet Intelligence can figure out a logical explanation without outside forces."

"So this is an attack on a Federation Colony?" Conner asked, "Is this why you asked us to wear weapons?"

The Commander looked to the floor, "Officially these weapons are to protect us in the unlikely event the Maquis attack the colony. Unofficially the newest head of the colony's government offices hates the Federation including Starfleet. With a passion, I might add."

"Has the Justice been informed?" Conner asked as he pulled out his phaser and checked the power levels on it.

"I send the Captain an encrypted transmission just before we exited the cloud cover." Dick answered. "If he does not hear from us within 12 hours he will be contacting Starfleet and transporting troops down to the planet."

"And what of the colonists? They need a home, Dick." Wally called into question the validity of the assignment.

The Commander hand his hand through his hair and shook his head. "I don't know. We might have to get them to a different colony or even a different planet."

Wally scoffed, "You're going to get us all killed."

"I know," Dick sighed dejectedly, "I know, but we need to see what's going on. There's a bigger mission out here than I originally thought."

"Understood, sir." Conner holstered his phaser, picked up the backpack, and headed towards the door. "Lets go, West."

"Yes, sir." Wally gave in.

The side door to the runabout opened automatically, allowing all three officers to step off the craft. The platform they were one was made of concrete and had piles of crates lining the outer edges. The nature of this kind of platform allowed transport ships to load and unload cargo even if they did not have a transporter. However the crates allowed for the guards on the platform to have solid cover and an advantage over the Starfleet personnel.

Wally stepped off the transport first. He tried his best to wear an unassuming smile. Dick and Conner followed him shortly after. The guards looked to the three officers with a look of disdain. Their grey uniforms looked to be cheap jumpsuits similar to one's used by engineers on civilian vessels. However they had patches indicating that they were security personnel attached to the colony for protection. Four of them in total guarded the main exit from the landing pad and several others could be seen flanking the Runabout, particle weapons at the ready.

The four guards slowly approached the Starfleet officers. The guard in the lead wore a beret that differentiated himself as the leader or officer of the security force. He rose his hand as though he was trying to great, "Morning Gents. What brings you to Marva?"

Dick immediately took lead and returned the greeting to the officer, "Not much, we just needed to meet with the colony's representative about a current situation."

"What would that be, Commander?" He asked.

"A refugee crisis. We encountered a damaged vessel and we need to find a temporary home for them." Dick eyed the guards carefully, watching for any indication of a first strike.

"Understood." The guard looked at the Runabout and then to the weapons on Dick, Wally, and Conner's waists. "You guys seem a little well armed for a simple refugee mission."

"We encountered some hostilities with some pirates," Dick lied, "The weapons are merely a precaution."

"I see," The guard nodded his head as though he didn't believe Dick. His body language seemed to tense as though he was about to turn the officers back to the Justice. However, for whatever reason, the guard did the opposite. "Well I shouldn't keep you waiting. You probably have bigger fish to fry being Starfleet Officers and all. Follow me."

The guard instantly turned face and began to move towards the exit. Likewise his escort followed him. Dick motioned for his fellow officers to continue on, but not before turning around to see several guards behind them motioning them to keep moving.

As they walked towards the exit, Conner turned towards Dick to speak, "Sir, I have a really bad feeling about this."

Dick nodded, "I know, I do too."

 **/ Hey guys! I have the next chapter up and I have also revised chapter one. Hope you guys like it and remember to drop a comment or a favorite!**


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